Katharine McCann

Katharine McCann is an Academic Professional and Director of Undergraduate Research in Neuroscience at Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Sociology (University of Georgia), M.S. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience (Georgia State University). Her research focuses on genetic/epigenetic mechanisms of stress-induced behavioral changes, molecular pathways in addiction, and neurodegeneration. Prior to academia, she worked as a social worker in foster care reunification. She transitioned to research after postdoctoral training at the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and NIH/NIEHS. Current work emphasizes stress biology and translational neuroscience.

Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of stress response, neurodegenerative disease modeling, behavioral neuroscience, addiction biology, and translational neuropsychology. Her lab integrates molecular biology, behavioral assays, and neuroimaging approaches to study stress-related disorders.

Publications: Recent articles investigate adenosine signaling in wakefulness, hippocampal CA2 circuitry in social behavior, and neurodegenerative pathways in Alzheimer’s models. Key themes include stress-induced neural plasticity and translational applications of stress research.

Advising & Grants: Oversees undergraduate research training in neuroscience; her work is supported by institutional grants at Georgia Tech. Advises students on projects linking molecular mechanisms to behavior.

Labs/Teams: Directs undergraduate research initiatives focused on stress biology and neurodegenerative disease at Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology.